Yonder: The Nightmare Begins
by Yuumei the Raging Re-Re
Summary: Basically, Kenshin and Sano stumble upon a village run by quite possibly insane girls. OC and original plot galore, not to mention OCxKenshin characters romance. Please review, thanks in advance
1. Dramatic entrances rock!

Greetings, one and everyone! This is Yonder, a gi-normus epic that i've been working on for god knows how long. It has this, a second part to this, a sequel, and now I've been asked by my personal, erm, 'Yonder manager' to write another...in fact, she's writing one herself...Now, this one at least, was originally written as a book for school (publishing our own books blah blah blah blah; also explains why this is so inocent and the sequel is so...not ") So if you don't like dirty language, and you end up liking this and want to read the follow ups and they're horridly innapropriate, don't say I didn't warn you. anyhoo, here's chapter one!

* * *

Two girls stood at the top of a hill overlooking an enormous valley.  
"We have to get back to the village. The people will be in despair of the weather," one said.  
"I know, but I at least want to enjoy a few seconds of peace, at least until the riot starts," said the other. A flash of lightning lighted the sky. A thunderous roar filled the air. A raindrop fell on the second girl's upturned face, followed by several more, then hundreds. Soon it was a downpour.  
The first girl wiped some rain drops that had collected on her face, then looked to the other girl. "Ahh..."she sighed in relief as she was standing there, arms limp, and drooling out of the corner of her mouth. The other girl sweat-dropped and said, "You know, sometimes I truly worry about you..."  
"Lady Yuumei, Lady Sayori!" some random man yelled as he ran up the hill. The girls turned around, the second snapping out of her childish daze. "The people's fires are going out, and their stock is getting wet!" he said urgently.  
"Well, we can work around that. As long as the council's stock is high and dry, we have nothing to fear," the second girl named Yuumei said with a huge smile on her face.  
Sayori looked hard out on the village beneath the hill. Her eyes went wide as she spotted something. She turned around and tugged on the girl's sleeve, and in getting her attention pointed out to a building with a huge pile of stuff next to a large pit lit by a dying fire. Yuumei eyes went so huge it was possibly against the laws of physics, and proceeded to tear down the hill, the other girl and guy struggling to keep up with her.  
2.5 seconds later...  
Yuumei sat on her knees with a bundle of soaked straw, her eyes over-dramatically teary with her lip quivering more than Jello in an earthquake.  
Sayori and three other girls stood behind her. "It's okay Yuumei, we'll be able to replace it," one said.  
"All my hard earned harvesting...gone..." she said clenching the straw tightly, "Would you hold me?" she asked to some random passerby, who ran away frightened.  
"We can save the stuff that's underneath the majority of the pile," said Sayori, trying to comfort the unstable humanoid.  
"I know. And it's okay, we can fix it, we can fix it!" she said, starting to break up again as she held up a hand, balled it into a fist and repeated, "Strong Yuumei, strong Yuumei!" while her eyes were watering.  
The other girls sweat-dropped and walked into the street, one of them saying, "Hey, at least the people should be more calm than her, right?"  
They all stopped in horror as people either ran around aimlessly or were kneeling, holding up their hands and telling themselves they were strong.  
Sayori shook her head saying, "We have GOT to get better subjects."

* * *

The land of Yonder. Surrounded by gargantuan sand dunes that are surrounded by dry and fruitless wastelands themselves, the valley holds within its heart a village. Now this village was full of people. Where they came from or how they got there was unknown. But what was known is that at some point, foreigners came to the village, seeking a place to reside. These foreigners were later called the council. They were soon chosen to lead the village. They taught one important concept: fire. This became the central point of ceremonies and daily life.  
For centuries to come, their descendants followed in their steps, continuing until five girls now reigned, each in their younger years (their true age is discussed later in the story). All of the descendants in their line possesses 'extra' senses. The first is shared among all of them and applies to everything in general; it works so good, they realize that this is a story! How's that for a plot twist? The second varies between each descendant, and enables each council member to preside over their chosen strength.  
The girls that currently preside over the village were as follows: Sayori, chief of ceremonies and rituals; Yuumei, nomadic herder extraordinaire (she's in charge of agriculture and harvesting stock); Mackenzie, tender to the flames; Uma Amaya, torch lady; and Kurokami, the guardian. And now that our little background are done, back to where we left our story!

* * *

The people of the village were carrying fresh stock and helping each other out like good people do. Sayori and Mackenzie stood at the foot of the road with hands on their hips overlooking the progress in the aftermath of last night's storm. Uma and Kurokami walked by with huge piles of stock in the direction of the council house's stock pile.  
"Wow, you two are actually working together, are you alright?" Sayori asked, surprised at the two who were usually at each other's throat.  
"And isn't that normally Yuumei's job?" Mackenzie added, confused.  
"Normally, yes, but she's still in shock..." Kurokami said.  
Meanwhile, Yuumei was in a corner of her room in a fetal position, sucking her thumb, saying, "So...much...soggy-ness!"  
"I see you're point," said Mackenzie, sweat-dropping at the visual.  
"But you are accepting your differences to help a fallen comrade! Now your ancestors will smile upon you!" Sayori said enthusiastically.  
Uma turned to Kurokami, "Bet you I can replenish the stock faster than you, you sorry excuse for a guardian!" she said daringly.  
"You're on, torch-etta!" Kurokami said, chasing Uma .  
"No! Betting and name calling? Now your ancestors are shamed again," Sayori said solemnly.  
"Aren't we all..." Mackenzie said as Uma and Kurokami were racing back and forth with bundles of stock.

* * *

"Ah..!" Yuumei sighed as she stretched, walking out into the parlor, "Nothing like a night of peace and quiet to get you through an episode."  
"Well you sound optimistic..." Sayori said, flipping a page in her book.  
"Quite a change from yesterday..." Uma said, sipping some tea with Mackenzie.  
Yuumei shrugged, "We all have our bad days. So how did you make out with the stock?" she asked, concerned.  
"Fine, it's right outside. You can check if you like," Kurokami said, polishing a sword out of the pile weapons owned by the girls.  
Yuumei promptly sprinted outside to observe.  
Mackenzie counted quietly to herself, "3, 2, 1..."  
Yuumei ran back inside, her mouth scrunched and eyes widened with obvious annoyance, breathing heavily through her nose. "You call that fine! That's pitiful-you did it all wrong! UGH!" she fumed and ran outside, distributing the stock Kurokami and Uma had collected to the villagers. Then she was running back and forth with stock she collected herself, mumbling, "Didn't I teach them better?" "Even the village children collect better than that..." "Sayori should've done it; at least she does it right." She stopped the door way and said to Uma and Kurokami, "You're ancestors are now doubly ashamed of you," and continued.  
Uma and Kurokami pouted, then glared at each other, braking it abruptly; Kurokami started rubbing the rag harder and Uma drank her tea more vigorously...if it's possible. Sayori got up and walked outside. Mackenzie looked up and wanted to follow, but then she had to duck a random piece of furniture now being thrown between the other two. She sighed and went off to play peace-maker.

* * *

Sayori walked up to the entrance to the stock fields. She looked around, scanning the area, and spotted Yuumei and walked in her direction.  
Yuumei was collecting stock a little...over-vehemently if you will. She was using her normal method, but when she'd normally step on the base of the stock, she stomped, and when she'd normally pull it firmly but gently after bending it back and forth to loosen it, she's yank.  
"They should've waited until I'd gotten over the shock. It was horrible; the pile wasn't even neat, it was all thrown together..." she was saying to herself angrily, bending the stock back and forth at every word she stressed, "Bend at the BASE-not the middle! Quarter field of stock WASTED! This is PATHETIC!" The last word, she pulled out the stock as she went to hold her hands in an angry gesture---after only two bends, which is very hard. She looked at the stock now in her hand in surprise.  
"So this is what you do when you're angry," Sayori said walking up. Yuumei turned around and rubbed the back of her neck sweat-dropping, "Either this, or I take my staff to those innocent bushes by the lake...and occasionally the water." Sayori shook her head and proceeded to collect a section of stock, doing it correctly, and giving Yuumei a bit of relief. "Those three just can't get it through their heads that I have a system which must be followed," Yuumei said, also going at a bush. "Yeah Mackenzie can collect right, but she isn't a real 'hands-on' person," Sayori said, using her hands for quotations.  
"It's not just the collecting though..." Yuumei said, her eyes frowning...wait, what?  
"What do you mean?" Sayori asked.  
"They don't follow my methods at all; they don't respect me that way! Why doesn't anyone take me seriously!" she asked to no one in particular, then started crying, her tears flowing much like waterfalls.  
"Well, first of all, you have the makes of someone with split personalities," Sayori said, putting the stock in the piled and starting on another.  
"Wha' d'ya mean?" Yuumei asked, wiping her eyes.  
"Well, one second, you're serious; an awesome fighter, leader and you think about the deeper things in life," she said, with many hints of sarcasm that Yuumei ad happened not to catch, "And the next, you're..not so much; i.e. breaking down, crying excessively, being an idiot...need I go on?" Sayori simplified.  
Yuumei drooled a bit, trying to comprehend what Sayori said. "My point exactly..." Sayori said flatly, then added, "The problem is, you're an idiot the majority of the time."  
"Well, what do you suggest I do? It's not like I can control my stupidity...or attention span...hey look! An ant!" she said, now focusing on the little insect crawling on the ground.  
"Hm...well, next time they don't listen to you, take you're staff, bing bam boom, you have instant respect!" Sayori said proudly.  
"You know, that just might work!" Yuumei said, picking up half the pile of stock and got ready to head back. Sayori nodded and picked up the other half. They both walked back, on the way Yuumei getting distracted at random things and Sayori whacking her over the head to get her back on track.

* * *

"We're back!" Sayori and Yuumei said after putting away the stock, but were left dumbfounded at the sight they beheld. "..eh-heh?"  
There apparently had been a bit of a 'tiff' while they had been gone. There was over-turned furniture everywhere, papers and books littered the floor, and Uma was at the top of a tall, large bureau with Kurokami at the bottom trying to shake her down and Mackenzie prepared with a cushion from the sofa to catch her.  
"Let it go, and let me get down!" Uma said, holding on for dear life. Kurokami continued to shake saying, "Let it go? You called me 'the village idiot', a 'cretin', and above all, a 'suck-up'!" Mackenzie sighed and continued to stand by.  
"Uh, did we miss something?" Sayori asked, still in shock.  
The group in the parlor looked at the two, then continued what they were doing.  
Sayori sweat-dropped then turned to Yuumei, "I'm bored...wanna train?" she asked, hopeful.  
"Okay! When do you have an opening?" Yuumei asked, whipping our a mini-planner.  
Sayori took hers out too. "Well, how 'bout 6?"  
"No, I have to teach the children how to fertilize the crops; how about tomorrow morning around 9?"  
"No, I have to get my hair done..."  
"Uh, isn't this supposed to take place before all of that was invented?"  
Sayori shifted her eyes, then said in a loud, audible whisper, "Shh...the reader doesn't have to know that..."  
"Ok, well...how about right now?" Yuumei asked.  
"Okay!" Sayori said enthusiastically.  
The other three stopped what they were doing and looked to the two who skipped off, then ran after them yelling, "WAIT!"

* * *

Yuumei and Sayori stood on a flexible, rebounding platform that was raised about three feet off the ground (to use big words to hide the fact that it's a trampoline). Sayori held a katana, but it had a dull blade. Yuumei held a long wooden staff, but it had a foamy material covering. These were so nobody would be seriously wounded in a training battle.  
"We're here at the training grounds where Yuumei and Sayori will dish it out!" said Mackenzie at a seat at a bench. "Yes, this is certainly spur of the moment," Uma said, who was sitting next to Mackenzie. Kurokami was holding up a sign that said 'Go Sayori' on one side and 'Go Yuumei' on the other..  
"You ready?" Sayori asked Yuumei.  
"Oh it is on." she replied, pronouncing the 'on' like 'own'.  
"Ready...Fight!" Uma yelled.  
Yuumei and Sayori ran at each other. Weapons clashed, both bounced back, and landed gracefully. They hit at it several times. Sayori tripped Yuumei. Yuumei landed on her back. Sayori came down with a strike. Yuumei blocked and kicked Sayori to the other side. Both got up quickly and ran at each other again. Yuumei hit Saku in the back with the side of her staff. Sayori recovered and slashed at Yuumei's stomach. The blade, being dull, didn't scratch, but it will leave a nasty bruise. Several more blows ensued.  
While they were fighting, two figures stood watching from the shadows of the trees, one with a rather large object on it's shoulder's that could easily be as tall as the trees they hid in.  
Sayori let out a cry and hit Yuumei with the handle of the katana. Yuumei fell to her knees, the wind having been knocked out of her. Sayori kicked her on her back and went for a final blow. Yuumei blocked with the staff and rolled so that she was on top of Jackie. She held her staff in such a way that if she were to put pressure on it, it would choke her opponent. Sayori held her katana in such a manner that if she were to strike and the blade were sharpened, it would go through Yuumei's chest.  
"Draw!" Mackenzie sounded, as Yuumei got up and helped Sayori to her feet. They hopped down, about to comment on each other's performance, when they heard someone clapping.  
"Very good. You must train very hard and often. You two are brilliant fighters, that you are," said a red haired boy (or at least looked like a boy) with a cross shaped scar on his cheek, previously known as Figure #1. Figure #2 stepped out as well, a spiky brown haired guy (or at least looked like a guy in terms of age) with the enormous weapon.  
"Eh?" The two girls muttered, confused. "Who are you?" Uma asked.  
"My name is Kenshin, that it is. This guy, you can call him Sano," said the red-head. Sano waved and said, "How ya doin'?"  
The girls faces looked something like this: O.o?

* * *

Sayori turned to Yuumei and whispered, "Hey, these guys look pretty good-looking, which one do you want?"  
Yuumei thought a moment. "Well, I've always had a thing for guys with brown hair," she whispered back after racking her brain.  
"Good 'cause I'll take anything," Sayori replied, then turned to the new-comers. "You two! Come on, you're coming to our place!" she said, thrusting her finger inches away from Kenshin's nose. Kenshin could only reply with an "Eh!" before he and Sano were being dragged back to the council house.  
The group was sitting at the dining room table as Kurokami brought out tea for everyone except for Yuumei. She gets water; she hasn't been allowed near sugar or caffeine in any shape, way, or form since the incident with the fruit punch and the mongoose last year.  
"So, how'd you people get here anyway? It's pretty hard to get across the sands without turning back or dying," Uma asked.  
"I'm not entirely sure. All we were doing was wandering, that we were, and then we stumbled upon this place," Kenshin said, then chugged his tea, adding afterwards, "and an extreme endurance in thirst."  
"I see..." Uma said, then pouted as her tea disappeared. Sano was stealing everyone's tea and drinking it down.  
"I'll go get some more," Kurokami said sweat-dropping and going out to the kitchen for more. Kenshin sighed at Sano's lack of manners, politely tapped on Sayori's shoulder and pointed slightly to her tea that she hadn't even touched. Sayori nodded as Kenshin proceeded to chug it down as well. Sano has gone through the rest of everyone's drinks except for Yuumei's. He started twitching then went to reach for it, but Yuumei snatched it away and snarled. "Mine..." she said and she drank it quickly.  
Kurokami came in with double the amount of tea as the first time and had barely put it on the table when both Kenshin and Sano started downing them.  
Yuumei sighed and sipped the second cup of water Kurokami had brought her saying, "I'd keep them away from fruit punch or mongooses for the next few hours."  
An hour later...

* * *

Kenshin was in a corner, giggling quietly, then cackling maniacally, then giggling quietly again. Sano was running around with some random weapons with Mackenzie, Kurokami, and Uma chasing after him. Yuumei and Sayori were sitting quietly and sipping their tea, trying to ignore the two who were caffeinated beyond all recognition.  
Kenshin started to run around with Sano. Sayori and Yuumei started twitching slightly. Sayori started twitching more violently, then smashed down her cup in frustration and went to yell at them, "STOP FOOLING-!" but then stopped a the sound of two bodies collapsing, "-around?"  
Kenshin and Sano were passed out on the floor, snoring a bit. "I think their wasteful depletion of their energy finally caught up with them," Yuumei said, pinching Sano's nose with no response except drooling.  
"I guess they're gonna have to stay here for at lest the night," Mackenzie said monotonously, Kurokami and Uma sighing. Yuumei and Sayori turned away and made elated gestures and started victory dancing.  
"Okay, Uma , Kurokami, help me move them to their new rooms," Mackenzie said, the three, not noticing the dancing of the two girls, proceeded to pick up the bodies.  
"NO!" Yuumei and Sayori yelled. Everyone else looked at them funny. "Uh...I mean, we'll put them in their rooms," Sayori said nervously, picking up Kenshin underneath his arms and pulled him a foot, then waited for Yuumei. "Yeah, nothing to worry you're pretty little hearts about," Yuumei said, picking up Sano in a similar fashion and dragged him with Jackie dragging Kenshin.  
'Perhaps we should take the liberty of changing them into more comfortable clothes," Sayori said mischievously, both her and Yuumei sniggering. "No!" the other three said, pulling Sayori and Yuumei away from the two guests and asking two male villagers to get them prepared for bed. "I think those two boys would sleep better knowing that men put them to bed, yes?" Kurokami said as the unconscious ones were dragged off to bed.  
Sayori and Yuumei smiled, but cried on the inside.

* * *

Kenshin stirred and opened his eyes. From the window he could hear a bird singing. He turned to his side to see Sayori making the bed which Sano had slept in the night before. Sayori looked over at spotted his new-found consciousness. "Oops. Did I wake you up?" she asked rubbing the back of her neck nervously.  
Kenshin sat up and shook his head, "No, that you didn't." Sayori gave a big smile, "Good, because I was being really loud." Kenshin sweat-dropped. Sayori started putting clean sheets from the laundry on the top shelf of the closet, saying over her shoulder, "Yuumei's making breakfast. You, me, her, and Sano are the only ones awake, so don't wake the others up; they'll bite your head off if you do, trust me." Kenshin sweat-dropped again, then got up.  
Sayori stood on her tip-toes and was struggling to get the sheets up there. Kenshin cocked his head to one side, then walked over to the closet, pushing the sheets in the rest of the way on the shelf with the handle of his katana. Sayori blinked and turned to Kenshin, who replied with a smile. She smiled back, then walked out with a basket of dirty laundry to put in front of Kurokami's room (laundry was her job).  
Kenshin walked out into the hall and down to the kitchen. He walked in and sat down next to Sano at the island. "But that's just the way things are," Sano said, drinking some...drink. "Yeah, yeah, I know what you mean," Yuumei responded, then flipped an egg in the pan without a spatula.  
"Oh-ho, showing off, are we?" Sayori said as she walked in and took a cup of...drink (I don't know what it is; it's some kind of juice, let's leave it at that). Yuumei circled another egg-pan behind her back without spilling or touching the hot part and said, "Hey, don't hate the player, hate the game." She flung two eggs on each of the six plates on the table with the pan, then turned off the oven. Then she 'frisbee-d' two pieces of toast on each of the plates.  
Sayori raised her eyebrows and shrugged, her version of applause. Yuumei cleared her throat, then went out with a pan of home-fries and scooped a bit on everyone's plate. "How come there are only 6 plates when there are seven of us?" Kenshin asked after counting the plates.  
A toaster-I mean, magic, square, and shiny contraption-popped up two halves of a bagel-I mean two halves of an oval shaped piece of short bread with a hole in the middle and pieces of onion inside it. Yuumei quickly buttered it and stuck one half in her mouth and put the other in her hand so that it wouldn't get all buttery, "Ok, gotta go, bye!" she said through the bagel and ran out the door.  
Sano had a puzzled look on his face as he, Kenshin, Sayori, and the late-risers sat for breakfast. "What was that all about?" he asked, trying some of the home-fries, then stuffing his face with them. "She has to get up early most days to help out the villagers with farming and harvesting and other farming stuff," Sayori said, taking a bite out of her toast.  
"I see," Kenshin said, then also took a bite of the home-fries and was shocked at their taste, "These are really good!"  
Kurokami took a bite and shrugged, "It's not different from any other day." The other girls nodded. Mackenzie elaborated, "She's always been the cook; she over does it a lot too."  
Uma nodded again, "Yes, I asked her once why she made such complicated meals for just breakfast, but all she told me was that this was the least complicated thing she could make. I don't mind; I like having gourmet quality meals without paying or thanking!" She finished with a big bite of egg.  
"I wish Kaoru could cook like this..." Kenshin said, then adding after the confused faces he got as a response, "She was the girl who took care of us where we used to live. She was a horrible cook, no offense to her."  
A group 'oh' ensued, then breakfast was consumed normally. The late-risers went back to bed (they only get up to eat before it gets too cold). Kenshin returned to his room to change, him having not had time before breakfast, and proceeded to do so. He was almost finished and about to put on his shirt, when Sayori waltzed in, humming to herself, with an empty laundry basket to put in the dirty sheets from Kenshin's bed and remake it.  
Both made eye contact. Sayori stopped humming; Kenshin sweat-dropped and blushed. "Gah! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't see anything!" she said quickly turning around and covering her eyes. Kenshin finished getting dressed and tapped her shoulder. "Ahh!" she yelped as she jumped in surprise, "I'm sorry, I should learn to knock," she said and laughed nervously.  
"No, it's okay, I should've changed earlier this morning," said Kenshin with his distinctive smile. He then noticed himself in the mirror, "Eh?"  
"Hmm?" Sayori asked. "I have bed-head!" Kenshin said, falling backwards in despair. "Here, lemme see that," Sayori said. She sat him on the floor in front of the bedside and sat herself behind him. She whipped out her handy-dandy-hairbrush, took out his ponytail, and started to brush out his hair. All was going fine until she caught a snug in his hair and yanked at it. "EH!" Kenshin muttered painfully as his head was dragged to one side by the hairbrush.  
A few minutes later...  
"Ok, one more second...and...there!" Sayori said proudly. Kenshin got up and looked in the mirror. His hair was much neater and his ponytail was high up on his head. "Well, my hair certainly hasn't looked like that in a while...not since those years" Kenshin said, closing his eyes remembering. "What do you mean?" Sayori asked, although she already knew (extra senses have perks).  
"14 years ago, I was the most efficient assassin in our country. After the war, I took a vow never to shed blood again. And to make sure I held to it, my sword has a reversed blade," he said and unsheathed his sakabato. The side which is normally the blade of the sword was dull, and the opposite side was sharp. "This was how I wore my hair back then..." Kenshin said solemnly as he reached back and touched it.  
Sayori's eyes went wide. She'd known about his past, but not his hair. "I'm, sorry, I'll put it back," she said an reached for his ponytail. He turned it away from her and said, "No, it's fine. I always liked it this way," he said smiling again. "Good, because it would've broken my heart if you did," Sayori said smiling, "Now then, I have to plan tonight's ceremony, so...bye!" she concluded hyperly and skipped out to the ceremony building and pit.

* * *

Next chapter: Fire and insane girls do not mix

Please Review, thank ya kindly


	2. Match in the gas tank, boom boom

Disclaimer: Do not own Kenshin, but the other characters are MINE!

"Okay kids! Remember, rake three times, make the volcano, poke a crater, and send the lava probe down..." Yuumei said and demonstrated. The kids repeated and duplicated. "Good kids! And remember, anyone who gets 15 volcanoes with probes, gets special sweets!" she said encouragingly, and went off to the harvest fields to harvest stuff.   
She walked by the door to the council house after she dropped off a pile of stock and spotted Sano's huge sword. "Hmm...this could be useful for harvesting..." She went over and tried to pick it up, but was having some...issues. She got it up a few inches, then it fell. "What are you doing?" Sano's voice asked from behind her.   
"Nothing..." Yuumei said, hiding the sword behind her back... wow, what an idiot. Sano looked at her with a mock-suspicious look, "Nothing...or something?" Yuumei started shifting her eyes nervously.

Sayori sat at her desk in the fancy, glass exterior ceremony building, which, if it weren't so fancy, it would be called a shed or outdoor office. She was compiling a list of objects for discussion tonight's fire circle.  
"Ahh...!" yelled Yuumei softly from outside while she was running by trying to hold up Sano's sword with him chasing after. Sayori raised her eyebrow and stopped writing but the sound stopped. She continued to write.  
"Ahh...!" she yelled again as she ran by the widow again. Sayori twitched and turned around, but no one was there, and continued writing.  
"Ahh...!" Sayori slammed down her pen and turned around again. She watched longer than before, but nothing happened. She sighed and continued to write.  
A huge crash sounded. Sayori's eyes went wide as she got up and walked outside to see what happened. Yuumei and Sano were covered in feathers. The sword fell on the roof of a chicken coop and chickens started running amok.  
Sayori glared at Yuumei. Yuumei sweat-dropped, "That was completely and totally my bad!"

"We finished rebuilding the coop and chasing the chickens!" Yuumei sounded as her and Sano returned to the house.  
"Good," Sayori said, eating a snack of some sort, "So, how did that happen anyways?"  
"Well, I was trying to run away with the sword, but a gust of wind threw it off balance and you can guess the rest," Yuumei said, taking some fruit and biting it. Mackenzie, Uma , and Kurokami emerged from their rooms, all dressed, teeth brushed, hair combed, bright eyed and bushy tailed.  
"Well, you did fix the coop, but you two are sentenced to cleaning the council building while I finish our list of things to discuss at tonight's council," Sayori said and walked out with Yuumei and Sano dragging their feet. Kenshin came along, too.  
Mackenzie plopped on a stool and grabbed a glass of the insert fruit here juice and took a sip. Uma and Kurokami followed suit. "So, looks like that the chickens got out again, eh?" Uma asked.  
"Yup," Mackenzie said and took a sip.  
Kurokami finished her glass quickly and hopped off the stool saying, "Well I'm going to make sure the guards are ready for the meeting tonight."  
"I'd better get ready with some torches," Uma said, finished her drink and went off to her area to get her team of torch people ready.  
"And I need to ready the fire wood," Mackenzie said to herself, and hopped off to her area.

"Are we ready?" Sayori asked. "Almost!" Uma replied, and placed a large piece of wood on top of the pit with the help of Kenshin and Sano. Brenna poured a large bucket of oil over the big piece of wood.   
"So, what are they doing now?" Kenshin whispered to Sayori as they sat down in their seats around the circle. Well, Sayori sat in her seat, Kenshin sat on a guest seat that had to be added to the circle.  
"Now, whoever's turn it is to light the fire, it's Yuumei's this time, will light it and start the night. Then we discuss the subjects of this ceremony, and when we're done, we basically party the rest of the night," Sayori said, adding a huge smile with the last bit.  
Yuumei banged a mini gong that happened to be really loud and threw a torch into the pit. Fire engulfed the pile in a huge explosion. "AHH!" Yuumei screamed as she was blown back. Kenshin and Sayori looked from the left, up, and to the right following Laura's flight. Sano started runing after her going, " I got it, I got it!" and leaping up and caught her much like a football. However, he landed on the chicken coop.  
"Oh jeeze," Uma said, smacking her head. "Pathetic..." Mackenzie said shaking her head. Te coop was smashed again, Yuumei and Sano, once again, covered with feathers. The chickens started running around again.  
Sayori sweat-dropped and turned to the crowd of every villager able to come to the ceremony. "Well, uh, right! Let's get things under way!" she said, trying to draw attention away from the mess behind her. Out of nowhere, Kurokami ran up with a sword. "I'll protect you guys!"  
Yuumei turned to Sano, "Thank you for breaking my fall!" she then turned to Kurokami, glaring at her, saying, "And thanks for not catching me..." she cracked her knuckles.  
Kurokami's eyes went wide saying, "I sense pain in my near future..." WHAM! Kurokami lay slightly unconscious on the ground, with Yuumei walking back to the circle, rubbing her hand.  
"Okay, first matter of discussion. I'd like to propose that there be either less oil used in the lighting of the fire, or that the lighter stay farther back. I'd also like to move the chicken coop on the other side of the council plaza that's away from us. Do 3 out of the other 4 agree?" Sayori said formally; more formal then Kenshin had thought these were. He smiled o himself.  
The three conscious members all said in unison, "Agreed." Sayori nodded, "So it shall be from now on." The meeting continued, discussing important issues.  
We'll just venture off a bit and give you some more background history.

The village is an otherwise peaceful place except for the girls escapades. All except for one fact. Over the Westward Sands, there was a rival village. They attack rarely, but that is only because they spend the time training and planning strategies for their next attack. They were bitter. Back in the day, the foreigners that would become the council stopped at their village first, but the people denied them. For this, they have never forgiven the village that the girls now reside in.   
The last attempt happened three years ago. A leader to be of their village entered the village as an innocent visitor. The girls, of course, could not refuse him, because it as against the law of the land. He worked his way until he had them totally unsuspecting. When the moment was right, he attacked one of them, Yuumei, giving her the scar that adorns her shoulder and back (Ha! That's one mystery solved!). He would have killed her if Sayori hadn't been taking a frolic through the area. He gave a signal and the army attacked. However, even though one of the council members were wounded, their effort was futile. Well, back to our story!

"Okay, so it's decided. We'll have one pepperoni, one veggie-lovers, one Hawaiian, and two cheese," Sayori said writing it down on a piece of paper, but then looked at you, "Ack! You didn't see nothin', ixnay, ixnay." The last part she whispered to the others, who hid a telephone and a pizza menu.  
Kenshin sweat-dropped, "So, what do you do now?" Mackenzie shrugged, "I think we went through everything." Moran sprang up yelling, "Let's get this party on!"  
"WOOOO!" Everyone cheered. A group of villagers began playing music as the whole village started to dance as though they had ants in their pants.  
Uma and Mackenzie started to tango wildly. Kurokami was keeping vigilant watch, but she could not stop her foot from tapping. Yuumei was dancing with one of the chickens. Sayori got up and held out her hand, "Come Kenshin! We're going DANCING!" Kenshin mustered out an, "Eh!" as he was whipped out into the area where people were dancing. Sayori flung him around, probably whacking him into random people and objects, but she was having too much fun to care. Eventually, she slowed down and started dancing normally with Kenshin, and after he recovered, he actually started bouncing to the beat.  
Yuumei continued to dance with the chicken until Sano popped up. He took hold of the chicken and asked it politely, "Excuse me, but may I cut in?" The chicken squawked in response. "Thank you Senor Pollo." Yuumei stared blankly and drooled for a minute, then laughed a bit and stated tangoing with Sano.  
Sayori smiled as Kenshin lighted up a bit more and started dancing more freely. He took hold of one of her hands and spun her. Then he held her and started formally dancing. Sayori gave a big smile and said, "Dip me!" with Kenshin obliging. He held her there a sec.  
While she was dipped, Yuumei and Sano tangoed near to them. Yuumei stopped, sending Sano flying off balance. Yuumei scoffed, "Sayori! You're dancing with someone else! Well if you're going to dance with him, then we're through!" she said over-dramatically.  
Sayori followed, "_scoff_ I thought what we had was special!"  
"Well, I guess not!"   
"Well, fine! We're though!"  
"Fine! You can have the puppy! I don't want it!"  
"It was your puppy to start with!"   
"I know it!"  
They both started laughing and stopped to listen to the music. "Okay you blubbering worthless weenies, let's get dancin'!" Sayori exclaimed as they all started dancing. "We're never gonna stop dancing!" Uma yelled as she started to break-dance.

_"Snnnnoooorrrreee"_  
Kenshin, Sano, Yuumei, Sayori, and Mackenzie lay collapsed in random places of the parlour. Uma and Kurokami were awake, but in a daze. Kenshin was the first to awake. He looked around saying, "Looks like the party got a little out of hand, eh?" Uma nodded, "You went to bed early, the others have only been asleep for a few hours." Kurokami shook her head, "I told them, 'Don't stay up to late,' I said, 'You'll pay for it tomorrow' but they continued to ignore me."  
"I'm not surprised," Uma said under her breath and received a glare from Kurokami. Mackenzie was next to awake, saying, "Me neither, you were asleep about five minutes after we got the party going."  
"Shut. Up." Kurokami said, hiding the facts. Sano woke up next. Kenshin looked at him surprised, "How are you awake this early when you went to bed so late?" Sano grinned and said, "'Cause I'm bad! See?" He held up his jacket with a big smile. Yuumei sat bolt upright. She looked at each person in the room individually with a scary I-didn't-get-enough-sleep-yet,-my-back-hurts-from-sleeping-here,-and-you-are-dead-for-waking-me-up look. She grabbed her pillow and blanket saying grumpily, "I'm going to bed. Bye." She walked in an exhausted daze to her room and shut the door.  
Everyone sweat-dropped. "She's scary in the morning," Mackenzie said, with the rest of the group nodding in agreement. Kenshin smiled and looked to his side with Sayori drooling in her sleep and her foot twitching. He cocked his head to one side thoughtfully and picked her up. He carried her into her room and placed her on the bed. AS he pulled up the covers, her eyes shot open. She swung a punch, hitting Kenshin in the face, then swung one the other way, hitting him on the other side saying, "Who dat?" She looked to her side and saw Kenshin there rubbing his face. "Oh, woops, sorry."  
Kenshin smiled saying, "It's alright, I can't blame you for your reflexes." Sayori sweat-dropped ten looked around. "How'd I get to bed? Last thing I remember was passing out after beating Yuumei in a maple syrup chugging contest..." she said rubbing her chin. Kenshin smiled again, "I put you there. After seeing Yuumei's reaction to sleeping on an uncomfortable surface, and figuring that she's more sweet-tempered than you and her reaction gave me goose bumps, I didn't care to see yours."  
Sayori snickered at her mental image of Yuumei not getting enough sleep, saying, "No, I bet you wouldn't," laughed a bit then smiled thoughtfully and said, "Thanks though. I hate sleeping on that couch." Kenshin nodded, "Your welcome. I nearly broke my butt sitting on that thing." She and Kenshin giggled then looked at each other. Kenshin opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't say anything. Sayori passed out and was snoring softly and drooling again.  
Kenshin shook his head, then looked at Sayori. He brushed her hair out of her face and touched her cheek thoughtfully. On an impulse, he leaned down and kissed her forehead. He pulled back, surprised at his own action. He thought a moment, then smiled slightly to himself and walked out. Sayori opened her eyes, and smiled, cuddling in her covers, content.

Yuumei's sleep didn't go so hot. She was turning and tossing in her sleep, and talking incoherently. Sano heard the noise and opened the door, seeing Yuumei's disturbed sleep. He sat down on the bed next to her's (they were both bunk beds) and bent down to sit without hitting his head.  
Yuumei was having a nightmare obviously. Although her words sounded like a drunken monkey's, they sounded distressed. She turned violently a few times. Yuumei let out a short yelp and woke up with a start, grabbing her shoulder. Sano jumped up in surprise, hitting his head on the top bunk, "Oww!" he rubbed his head, "That's gonna leave an interesting bruise..."  
"Sorry about that, but why are you in here anyways?" Yuumei asked suspiciously. "Well, you were talking in your sleep loudly enough that I heard it as I was walking down the hallway. I was just seeing what all the commotion was about and making sure that you weren't being mugged or something like that," he said with a huge grin on his face.  
Yuumei looked at him cynically. "Mugged in my own room?" she asked sarcastically. Sano looked away a bit, uncharacteristically blushing slightly, "Maybe, I was concerned." Yuumei raised and eyebrow. "Concerned?" she asked challengingly. Sano looked at her with a look that said give-me-a-break, "Maybe, I was concerned a lot." Yuumei pushed with a grin on her face, "That's it?" Sano looked at her with a mix of a glare and a grin, "Don't push the maybe, baby."  
Yuumei gave a slight giggle, "Very smooth. Now then, could you please leave so I can get changed?" Sano pouted comically, "What, you don't want me to stick around?" Yuumei glared at him, "NOW!" Sano ran out of the room, dodging a shoe, "I was just kidding-! Ahh!" A boot hit him square in the side of the head. Yuumei shook her head, shut the door, and proceeded to get changed. Sano rubbed his head outside of the door, "Jeez, what did she have in that shoe, a brick?"

Sayori awoke again and rubbed her eyes. She got dressed and walked out of her room and into the parlor. Kenshin and Sano were sitting at the coffee table, drinking tea. Yuumei was putting on a light coat. "Oh, you're awake, how'd you sleep? I'm about to head out," she said noticing Sayori. Sayori grabbed her coat, saying, "Oh? Where to?" Yuumei thought a moment, searching for the right words, "Um, that place, with the thing, and...and the thing with the thing...you know that place?" Sayori smirked, "You mean the place?"   
Kenshin and Sano turned and got up, intrigued. "What's the place?" Kenshin asked, Sano nodding in agreement. Sayori and Yuumei turned their heads so slowly the almost creaked. They glared at the two sitting at the island. "Let's keep it down Sayori! I think SOME people are EAVESDROPPING!" Yuumei said really loud. "Well how RUDE os SOME PEOPLE!" Sayori said, also very loud. Kenshin and Sano sweat-dropped. "We were just wondering if we could come along..." Sano said, afraid of the girl's glares. Kenshin nodded.   
"Maybe we should let them come..." Sayori said, thinking. Yuumei rubbed her chin, "I don't know Sayori, they might cramp our style..." Her and Sayori posed in unison saying, "Style!" Kenshin and Sano sweat-dropped, but then pouted slightly. Sayori though a bit, "Tell you what, if you can know the secret comrade handshake, you can come." Yuumei held out her hand to Kenshin. Kenshin sweat-dropped nervously. "I'm waiting, old man," Yuumei said, waiting. "Eh...?" Kenshin said as he held out his hand.   
Sano came up behind him, "Be careful Kenshin! Our fun for the day is on the line!" Kenshin grabbed Yuumei's hand and shook it nervously "..how-do-you-do?" he said cautiously. "Fine and you? Okay you're in!" Yuumei said with a huge smile on her face. "But you have to keep up with us!" Sayori said with a huge grin as she and Yuumei grabbed bokkens. Sano and Kenshin looked at each other. 

_"Grrroooaann..."  
"Mooaannn..."_  
The group was on one of the dunes that were on the savanna like area between the village and the Sands. Sayori and Yuumei were about ten feet from the top, but were collapsed on the ground and struggling to crawl to the top.  
"Come on Sayori, we can make it!" Yuumei said and tried to pull Sayori further. "Go on without me!" Sayori said, still trying to lug herself up. "No! We're almost there!" Yuumei said encouragingly. In a last burst of energy, they charged weakly up the hill and plopped on the ground panting. Kenshin and Sano stood at the top already.  
"Are you ready for the rest of the hills?" Kenshin asked. Yuumei looked at him in despair. "You mean there's more?" she asked weakly. Kenshin nodded and pointed to the mass of hills that were the prelude to the harsh wasteland that was the Sands. Sayori and Yuumei groaned and fell back down.  
They got up and started down the hill. Yuumei's foot snagged on something. "Dramatic trip-fall!" she said as she tripped, fell, and rolled down the hill and into a spot of bushes. Sano sweat-dropped, "Shouldn't we help her?" he asked as they continued walking pass the bush. Yuumei recovered and ran up "Dramatic reentrance to the group!" she said as she fell with a graceful barrel-roll and hopped up again next to Sayori at the head of the group.  
"I guess that answers your question," Kenshin said to Sano as they started up another hill. Sayori were doing better, but were still getting aggravated. "This pant wasn't _pant_ as hard _pant_ when we were younger, was it?" Sayori asked as she got within five feet of the summit. "Beats the hell outta me," Yuumei said as the group arrived at the top that had a sign that read, 'The Old Fort'. Close to it was a large pit in the sand which was partially held up by two wooden support-walls.  
Yuumei smiled and nudged Sayori, "Remember how long it took to get that thing to break?" Sayori laughed a bit and nodded, "Yeah, and even then it didn't fall...stubborn piece of crap..." she said and kicked one of the sides. They continued down a bit of a slope that was adorned with seashells, called conveniently, 'Seashell path'. Sayori and Yuumei stopped at an opening in the woods and turned to go in.  
"Be careful, there's poison ivy at the entrance. Just follow us, we know where to step," Sayori said as she and Yuumei walked carefully and cautiously into a clearing. Kenshin and Sano followed, keeping a wary eye out for the oily plant that can be a real pain in the neck. They got in the clear and stopped short and looked at where they stood.

They stood in a clearing, which was heavily protected by bamboo-like vegetation. The plants also carpeted the ground. There were also sections of it in the middle and centers of the clearing, making it look very attractive. Some of the plants bordering the area reached out into the clearing, especially the dead ones.  
"What...where are we?" Kenshin asked, taken aback by the scenery. "We found this place five or six years ago. We are the only ones who know where it is," Sayori said, taking in the beauty of this place. "Well, Kurokami did come here the first time, but with her memory I doubt she remembers," Yuumei said as she grabbed the end of one of the plants, examined it, and let it go. She looked around and spotted an opening in the barrier. She started for it and walked through, the rest hot on her heels.  
"They're still here, I thought with the weather and competition from the other plant life," Yuumei said as she walked into a similar clearing only there was no barrier except for the woods and the dominant plants were a tantalizing mass of cattails. Kenshin and Sano were once again blown out of the water. "How does this stuff exist, so close to the desert?" Sano asked, poking one of the cattails to make sure he wasn't imagining them.  
Yuumei shrugged, "It baffles even me, but it's mysteries like these that make Yonder a pretty cool place to live, don't ya think?" Sayori raised her bokken and swung saying, "Makes for a pretty cool place to fight, too!" Yuumei lifted hers in time to block the attack. "Indeed," she said and pushed off Sayori's bokken and went for a strike. Before you knew it, the two were fighting fiercely.  
"I would never have guessed that they were good friends..." Kenshin said, taking a step back to avoid a swing. The two made their way back through the woods into the 'bamboo' clearing. Sayori went for a swing, and Yuumei deflected...barely. She clutched her hand, wincing slightly. Sayori swung again; they had a policy never to stop even if they get hurt because that would make them weaker.  
Yuumei jumped up and caught the tree branch of an oak tree. She pulled herself up and checked her hand. She flinched scarcely as she squeezed her hand, feeling for any broken bones. She sighed relief; it probably just bruised the bone. bokkens are dangerous for nothing but a sword shaped stick. "You wanna quit?" Sayori asked from below.  
Yuumei jumped down, kicking away Sayori's bokken in the process, and holding her own bokken up to Sayori's neck, "Do you?" Sayori back flipped and regained her bokken. "No, I was just saying because now you have to fight left-handed," She said and ran at Yuumei to strike. Yuumei guarded, using her left hand as the leading appendage. "That's what I love about using staffs as opposed to swords and bokkens," she said, pushing away Sayori's bokken and hitting her gently, so as not to cause her too much pain, on the upper arm, "they make you quite ambidextrous."  
Sayori grinned and went to attack but was stopped by Kenshin. "Shh..." he said as he listened. Sayori heard it now to as she took her mind off of the fight. She took her bokken out of an offensive pose and turned to head in the direction of the entrance to the main path, "We should go..." Yuumei nodded and headed to the path, Sano following.  
Sayori started after, but stopped and looked behind her. Kenshin stood, listening and watching, with his hand on the handle of his sword. "Come on Kenshin, we should go back," she said turning around towards him. "Go on ahead, I'll catch up, I just wanna be sure..." he said still looking around. Sayori walked up to him and held his hand tightly. Kenshin looked at her in slight surprise.  
"Come on, do you really want me to go alone?" Sayori said, looking into his eyes, trying to get her point across. Kenshin blushed slightly, then smiled nervously, "No, I suppose not..." Sayori smiled, "That's better," she said and wove her arm around his. Kenshin blushed a bit deeper, then looked at Sayori, who looked back into his eyes again. They leaned towards each other and kissed. Both broke away fast, a little embarrassed.  
"Ahem, uh, shall we go?" Sayori said walked ahead a bit, letting go of Kenshin's arm. Kenshin grabbed her hand again, which cause her to stop. He took a step so he was next to her and wove his arm around hers as she had done moments before. Kenshin smiled at her. She smiled back and nodded and they were about to walk but...  
WHAM! Both fell comically unconscious on the ground; Kenshin with his mouth agape with a weak "Eh?" and Sayori drooling and mumbling as though she were asleep. The dark figure who was responsible smirked and signaled to two men who picked them up, dragging them away.

Meanwhile, Yuumei and Sano were,  
"Hmm, shouldn't they have caught up by now?" Yuumei asked, walking backwards and keeping an eye out. Sano shrugged, "Who knows..." Yuumei stopped then jumped into a bush, dragging Sano down wit her. "Hey! What was that for-?" Sano started to say but she covered his mouth and pointed. Several men were walking past the entrance to the bamboo clearing.  
Yuumei turned and beckoned Sano to follow as they started running up the dune cautiously, then charging down the hill and to the village. "Who were they!" Sano asked as they were running at top-speed. "Scouts! They look around the village and it's surroundings for weak spots!" Yuumei replied, jumping over a rock and continuing. "What does that mean!" Sano asked, still confused. "It means their forces are rising! The rivaling village is going to attack!" Yuumei answered and ran into the city gates and towards the council house.

Sorry about the delay in updating for the probably negative everyone who actually read this. I've been really busy with other than internet stuff, but hopefully now that I'm back in the groove I can actually find time for my lovely computer.


End file.
